Rockland to Cuomo: Where’s our money?

Below is a letter that Rockland County Executive (and former GOP Lt. Gov. candidate) Scott Vanderhoef sent to the governor, contending the state’s unwillingness to reimburse them for mandated services is forcing them to take out what are essentially bridge loans. The money, said Stephen DeGroat, the county’s acting finance and budget commissioner, is for services such as family assistance, Ryan White AIDS funding, public health services like infection control and TB programs.

“It seems the payments are coming slower and slower,” said DeGroat.

Cuomo’s budget spokesman Morris Peters said they could only find about $10 million that has been delayed a bit, due to what he said were reconciliation issues and other minor delays — nowhere near the $80 million that the letter complains about. Late payments from the state to counties has been an issue in past years, especially during budget crunches but I’ve not heard similar complaints from other counties this year.

Rockland is also being audited by the Comptroller’s office, with auditors on-site for a while, said county spokesman Ron Levine. Audits in themselves, of course, are not unusual.